Sarah & Vittorio (Royals of Valleria #9)

by Marianne Knightly

“What was that?”

  Marcello ran a hand over his face. “He’s fine. It was nothing.”

  Alex stared Rio down, daring him to state differently.

  A test. Rio was used to those, too. He kept his mouth shut. Or, he’d planned to until Rebecca turned her narrow gaze on him.

  “Was it nothing?”

  Rio swallowed and shifted his weight. He couldn’t—wouldn’t, really—lie. “I was pushed against the wall.”

  “And?”

  Rio shrugged.

  “Well?”

  He sighed. How did he get stuck in situations like these? “And I may have been choked a little with his arm.”

  Rebecca whirled and slapped Alex on the shoulder. “Alex!”

  “He’s fine! Look at him.”

  “As if that makes up for it.”

  Alex’s face went hard, and Rio could see the king lurking underneath. “I will do whatever it takes to protect my family.”

  Rebecca sighed at that, her shoulders relaxing as the fight left her. “Alex.”

  Alex tugged her close, his voice soft. “I was never going to really hurt him. None of us were. We just wanted to put a little fear into him.”

  Rio had serious doubts about that, but at least with Rebecca there, they wouldn’t get another chance.

  * * *

  Sarah approached her father, Gabriel’s, office. This one, tucked inside the Royal Wing, was smaller and didn’t have the suite of assistant offices and desks that his formal office boasted. Even without that, it was still just as imposing.

  Despite her ‘spirited’ nature and the number of times she’d caused her parents headaches, she could count on one hand the number of times she’d been called to her father’s office. Usually when that happened, her father wasn’t angry but disappointed.

  She preferred being yelled at in anger rather than spoken to in that disappointed tone parents had. Anger burned hotter but blew out quicker. Disappointment stabbed and left a wound that could fester for years.

  Her heart jumped at the sight of her mother, Genevieve, inside as well. So, she’d be tag-teamed today. Taking a deep breath, she knocked twice and stepped inside without waiting for a reply.

  “Mama. Papa.” Her father was seated behind his desk, still dressed in a suit but his jacket and tie were gone. His salt-and-pepper hair and mustache were trimmed just so, and he exuded the authority he held without even trying.

  Her mother sat in a chair facing the desk, her dark blonde hair loose around her face, and she wore a simple and elegant shirt and pants on her curvy frame. She’d been very slender when she’d married her father, but nine children in eight pregnancies had changed her body. Her father never seemed to love her differently or any less; in fact, they seemed to love each other more with each passing day.

  Sarah wanted that. She wanted a love like theirs, that grew deeper over time. The kind of love she’d seen with Alex and Rebecca, Marcello and Grace, Nate and Charlie, Lorenzo and Lily, Cat and Eddie.

  She loved Rio, but was it the same lifetime-growing-more-each-day-love her family had with their loves?

  She walked over and gave her parents kisses on each cheek, then took a seat in front of the desk. Her mother sat in the seat beside her.

  Neither of her parents spoke for a few moments, making her even more uneasy. “Alex said that Rio’s parents were trying to blackmail you. You should know Rio had nothing to do with it.”

  Her mother glanced at her father, then spoke. “How are you?”

  She blinked. “Fine. How are you?”

  Her father leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands in front of him. “You say Prince Vittorio wasn’t involved. You believe him?”

  No hesitation. “Yes. He can prove it, if you need that.”

  “His family?”

  “Are lying. They do that. They’re good at that. You shouldn’t bow to them or give them any money for it.”

  “Even if the photos aren’t true, they can appear to be.”

  Appearances, appearances, appearances. Did anyone care about the fucking truth anymore? “And we can refute them if anybody prints it and take them to court for it.”

  Her father shook his head. “Quite the scandal is brewing, Sarah.”

  Anger was shifting to unease in her gut. “Everything is fine. Rio and I are together. We were just at an event last night, our first one out in public. The prime minister was there for about five minutes and I managed to speak to him for at least one of those. He didn’t seem upset.”

  “He spoke to me this morning.”

  Oh, God. “What did he say?”

  “The same thing he said several days ago. Apparently, he didn’t buy that you and Rio were a couple. Not to mention, someone leaked the prime minister’s displeasure to the Council, and they would like to convene an emergency meeting to discuss your position as our Italian ambassador.”

  Pompous fucking pricks! “It won’t be the first time they’ve tried to remove one of us from power.”

  “Be that as it may, they think they’ve got the legs to do it this time.”

  “Then they’re even bigger idiots than we thought.”

  “Sarah…” her father warned.

  “Papa, you know it’s true. The entirety of the Council would not encourage my resignation as ambassador. Not only because my brothers are on the Council and wouldn’t encourage that line of talk, but also because my record speaks for itself. Not to mention, those opposed to the monarchy are far fewer in number than those who approve of us. They’ll never get the votes, even if they could get a vote approved in the first place.”

  “That may have been the case in the past, but tides are turning. The ‘honeymoon’ period of your brother’s wedding is fading.”

  She snorted. “Then you’ve obviously not been paying attention. People love Alex and Rebecca. They’ll never get tired of hearing about them.”

  Her mother shook her head. “That’s not what I’m hearing.”

  “Then you’re not listening close enough. I’ve been asked about them at every party or official function I’ve attended since they announced their engagement, and it’s only gotten worse since the wedding. The world is interested in us.”

  “Those are parties, Sarah, they’re not the people’s voices.”

  “Mama, I attend more than just stuffy, rich-people parties. The majority of events I go to have average citizens in attendance with a few famous names. Those parties have the best gossip. I do most of my political maneuvering at fancy parties like those I attended this week, that’s true, but most of the information I get is from the average ones I attend.”

  Her parents exchanged another glance, and her father leaned forward. “That may be true, my daughter, but you’ve also developed a reputation as a…party girl…for a lack of a better phrase. Your dating antics are becoming detrimental to your position.”

  She pursed her lips. She hated, hated, that there was such a double standard. Her brothers had dated loads of women but were only ever thought of as virile. “So people are calling me a whore and you find that offensive?”

  Her mother’s face was stricken. “Sarah—”

  “Good. I’m glad you find it offensive that people are calling me a whore for dating.” In for a little, in for a lot. “Yes, I’ve dated. Yes, I’ve had one-night stands. Yes, I am not a virgin.”

  Her father winced. “Sarah, please—”

  “Did you give this same talk to my brothers? Nate and Lorenzo slept around plenty before they found their loves. Am I not to be afforded the same courtesy? Am I to be banished for enjoying life?”

  She stood up. “I’ll fight this. I’m damn good at what I do, and I love doing it. I’m not going to leave my post without a fight.”

  “Sit down, my daughter.”

  “Papa—”

  “Sarah.”

  One word from him in that strict father tone had Sarah biting her tongue and lowering herself into the chair again.

  Her mother placed her hand on Sa
rah’s. “Take a deep breath.”

  She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Mama.”

  “Sarah.” One word from her mother in that ‘do-it-or-else’ mom tone and she was following orders.

  Her mother nodded. “Good. Now, you’ll listen while I talk.”

  As she opened her mouth to speak, her mother narrowed her eyes at her. Sarah kept her mouth shut.

  “Do you think for one second that we agree with the Council?”

  Sarah shifted slightly in her seat. The thought may have crossed her mind, but she’d discounted it. Her parents always supported her, which was why this conversation had made her so angry. “Well, no.”

  “Do you think for one second that we long to hear our daughter called a slut or a whore by pompous old men and women who are drunk on the little power they have? Or by the less-than-reputable press?”

  She felt as though she had an itch underneath her skin but didn’t dare scratch. “No.”

  Her mother stood and stepped towards her, then cupped her face. What was so comforting about her mother’s hands? She fleetingly wondered if Rio had ever had a similar touch from Angela.

  “Do you honestly think for one second that we—your father and I, and any of your siblings—believe that you are a slut or a whore? That we believe you deserve these things being said to you and about you?”

  She sagged a little. “No, Mama.”

  Her mother’s eyes were wet, but tears didn’t fall. Actually, she’d rarely ever seen her mother cry. “Sarah, I know it’s hard being held to a double standard, but it’s what you face as a woman. You also face it twice as much as a princess. It’s not fair, but it’s the truth. Your father—and your brothers on the Council—will all fight for you and with you. Don’t worry a second on that score.”

  She turned her head to her father, and her mother’s hands fell away.

  Her father nodded. “It’s true, my daughter. Don’t ever doubt that we will stand by you. Alex, Nate, Marcello, and I discussed it after the news broke of you and Prince Vittorio. The Council is always plotting something, and we had an inkling they might be turning towards this route of unseating you. One of the ministers—whose views tend to run against us—has a useless brother he’s been trying to get into an elected position. Since he’s an idiot, he’s failed in each election.”

  “So they want an idiot in my position.”

  Her father nodded. “It won’t be the first time someone on the Council has tried something similar. However, Italy is our neighbor and the post of ambassador is far too important to be left to a less-than-qualified candidate.”

  Sarah leaned back in her chair. “That’s what people said about me when you gave me the post. They all claimed nepotism and demanded you remove me. They said the same things about Marcello and Nate when they took over their posts as Ministers.”

  Her father’s eyes went hard, and his mustache twitched. “You—and your brothers—were infinitely more qualified than the people put forth for those positions, and still are. I was well aware of the perception at that time.”

  He stood up and walked around the desk, leaned against the front of it. “My child, that’s exactly the point I’m trying to make. Your current actions are being perceived in an unflattering way. I’m not judging you, and neither is your mother.”

  Now her eyes were getting wet, but she was like her mother in that respect; they wouldn’t fall unless she was alone. She couldn’t bear to show weakness in front of anyone.

  Though she had shown them to Rio. Was that a lifetime-love? Being able to cry in front of the other person?

  She shook her head and focused back on the conversation. “Thank you for saying that, Papa.”

  He cleared his throat. “It’s…difficult…for a parent to believe at times that their child, the small babe they held in their arms, is grown and in an adult relationship. I felt the same way about my sons as I do about my daughters, but, I admit, it is more difficult when it comes to my daughters.”

  Her mother reached over and took his hand. “Gabriel.”

  He lifted it to his lips and kissed it. “I’m all right, my love. Back to the topic at hand, Sarah, it was a very clever idea to fake a relationship with Prince Vittorio, but the Council isn’t buying it. We need to come up with another solution to manage the situation. We’ll need the Prince’s help.”

  “It’s not fake.”

  Her parents stared at her, then at each other, then back to her.

  “It’s not. It might have started out that way, but it’s not that way anymore.”

  Her mother frowned. “Sarah, are you sure about this?”

  No hesitation again. “Very.”

  “How very?” her father asked.

  She spoke the words she wasn’t sure she was ready to say. “I love him. I wasn’t expecting it. He wasn’t, either. Yet, here we are.”

  Her father stood and rounded the desk to sit behind it. “I see. That could prove tricky. I’ve been hearing talk that your dating the prince is a conflict of interest, given your position. By becoming involved with an Italian and remaining the Italian ambassador, the Council is insinuating your relationship with the prince was simply an effort to gain access or control to certain Italian businesses or political deals. It’s another tool the Council is planning to use against you and force all our hands.”

  “That’s ridiculous! His family doesn’t even rule over anything, not really. What access or control could I really gain that, quite frankly, I couldn’t already get in my post as ambassador? Not that I’m doing anything shady—I’m absolutely not—but you just meet a lot of people as an ambassador. I could easily make whatever connections I needed to during the normal course of business. That’s why you need good people in posts like these, and yes, I am counting myself as that type of person. I would never betray my country for money or political influence.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t, my child, but politics is perception. If you were only going to fake it for a month, we could have managed it. However, it’s more difficult if you’re planning to stay together.”

  Sarah wanted to scream. “I’m not giving him up.”

  “And if you had to?”

  “Papa…”

  He held up a hand. “Hear me out. There is another we could place in your post as ambassador.”

  She started to leap from her chair, but her mother held her back. “Just listen, honey. All right?”

  Sarah pursed her lips and nodded.

  “Finn has been requesting help in Brazenbourg.”

  Sarah blinked at the change in subject. “What does Finn have to do with this?”

  “Finn feels that there are still those who were loyal to his brother. Though we’ve provided intelligence and other resources, he needs someone to help him keep an ear to the ground. He’s worried he won’t be able to protect Arianna or Eloisa if something were to happen.”

  Wow. Her brother-in-law Finn was crown prince of Brazenbourg. Finn’s brother had tried to kill him, but had lost his own life in the process, and Finn had ascended the throne. “It’s been a couple years since Finn took over. Does he really think someone’s been biding their time?”

  Her father’s mustache twitched as he frowned. “Yes, he does. As you know, only males can currently ascend the Brazenbourg throne and, if there isn’t one next in line then the country’s rule transfers to their Council of Mayors, some of whom may still be loyal to Finn’s brother.”

  He looked to her mother, then back to Sarah. “Arianna had a difficult first pregnancy and—this is something not to be shared outside this room, even with your siblings—there is the chance they can’t risk having another child. That means the throne must go to Eloisa. Finn feels that, in the current climate, he could get the ascension rules changed to allow Eloisa to ascend the throne. Since her birth, he’s been lobbying for that change. If that change were to happen, however, then Eloisa would indeed be at risk even more so than normal.”

  Her father leaned forward. “He need
s help ferreting out who might be plotting against him. If you went—even as a ruse such as Vallerian ambassador to Brazenbourg—it could help him a great deal.”

  Sarah’s head was whirling. “We’ve never had a Vallerian ambassador in Brazenbourg before.”

  “We would now.”

  “You’d trust me with this? This is secret-agent-type stuff.”

  “I’ve discussed it with Marcello. With some additional training, we both believe you could do it, and do it very well. Being an ambassador has inadvertently given you some of the skills you’ll need for this role.”

  God, it would be such an amazing opportunity to help Finn and, in turn, her sister and niece. Brazenbourg was well north of Valleria so she didn’t get to see them as much, and that would be another bonus. She’d be good at helping Finn, she knew it.

  If she did this, she’d be leaving Italy behind. She loved being ambassador and she would absolutely miss it, but helping family was absolutely more important than any ambassadorship.

  Then there was Rio. Would he come with her? How would he react to this?

  Not to mention, leaving now, on the heels of a scandal, didn’t feel right. “If I leave now, people will assume I’m leaving because of what happened with Rio. Then they’ll assume you’re shipping me away since I won’t return to Valleria. Politics is perception, as you just pointed out.”

  “We believe that could work in your favor. If people assume you weren’t there for any real purpose, they’re more likely to let their guard down around you. It could help you ingratiate yourself into Finn’s life and filter out who may be loyal to Finn and who has remained loyal to his brother.”

  Her mother chimed in. “Don’t get upset with me saying this, honey, but your party girl persona would also feed into this. People will also let their guard down if they don’t believe you’re intelligent or care about anything. We know that you’re not a party girl, but this time that perception may work in your favor.”

  A hundred thoughts and scenarios flew through her head. God, she was already plotting politics and she hadn’t even left yet.

  Her thoughts whirled away from future plans and rushed back to the present at warp speed.